Who pays my medical expenses after a Maryland auto accident?

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a Maryland car crash or truck accident, you may be discouraged by the stack of mounting medical bills.

The good news is that it is unlikely that you have to pay these bills out of your own pocket. Insurance companies exist to cover unexpected costs like these.

First, your own auto insurance policy may cover a bulk of the cost. Maryland Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, insurance covers medical bills resulting from a Maryland auto accident injury. If your injuries require you to take time off work, your PIP insurance will also cover 85% of those lost wages.

Unless you specifically signed a waiver declining PIP insurance, you do carry it on your auto policy.

The amount of PIP coverage depends on your policy, but it typically covers up to $2,500 for medical bills or lost wages. The highest PIP coverage available on any Maryland auto insurance policy is $10,000.
Depending on the extent of your injuries, you might exhaust your available PIP money before you have finished paying for all your medical bills.

As a secondary source, your personal health insurance will often cover some of your medical expenses, even for injuries from a car accident.

Finally, you may want to pursue damages from the driver who was at fault for the accident. This is particularly true if you have sustained permanent damage or are facing years of recovery and ongoing medical bills.

It is important to know that you can receive money twice - from both your PIP insurance and the other driver's insurance. This is perfectly legal and an acceptable practice in Maryland.

That said, you might have difficulty getting adequate damages if your injuries are extensive. Insurance companies will try to pay you as little as possible.

An experienced personal injury attorney in Montgomery County may be able to help you build a case to make sure you get the best outcome possible. Having help may allow you to focus on recovering, rather than worrying about medical bills. Call the skilled Maryland injury attorneys of Nickelsporn & Lundin at 1-800-975-8700.